


Lycoris Elegy

by TamashiNoKoe



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood and Violence, M/M, forest of lycoris
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-05-06 21:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14656907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TamashiNoKoe/pseuds/TamashiNoKoe
Summary: Just as the leaves and the flower of the Lycoris can not coexist ... neither humans nor beasts can ... but everything can change.Blood, an innocent and pure young man with burning hair and eyes, will open his heart to a cold and lonely werewolf. But, the past does not forgive anything. People’s sins have taken on their own will, and in the depths of the forest a forgotten soul that seeks revenge will stain everything of the darkest despair imagined.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Lycoris Elegy is an alternative story based on the "Forest of Lycoris" universe, a peculiar adaptation of the famous "Little Red Riding Hood" tale created by the series "Uta no Prince Sama".
> 
> =>Also available in Spanish at wattpad<=  
> https://www.wattpad.com/story/144211549-lycoris-elegy  
> ______________________________________________________________________________________
> 
>  
> 
> _For those who do not know the story here are the clarifications of the characters. ___
> 
> => Blood (Little Red Riding Hood): Performed by _Ittoki Otoya_
> 
> => Randolph (werewolf): Performed by _Ichinose Tokiya_
> 
> => Black Hood: Performed by _Aijima Cecil_
> 
> => Victor (the hunter): Performed by _Jinguji Ren_
> 
> => Alvin (the sorcerer): Performed by _Hijirikawa Masato_
> 
> => Graham (Blood's Brother): Performed by _Kotobuki Reiji_
> 
> => Tod (werefox): Performed by _Kurosaki Ranmaru_
> 
> => Bernard (hyena man): Performed by _Shinomiya Natsuki_
> 
> => Finny: Performed by _Kurusu Syo_
> 
> => Byron: Performed by _Camus_
> 
> => Merlin (bird boy): Performed by _Mikaze Ai_

_Lycoris ... a unique flower ... enigmatic ... with the beauty of a red sunset._

_Its crimson petals enclose a grim truth. It is known as the flower of death, vigilant of the beyond. Its flowers and leaves can never be together, like an eternal curse, destined to be separated forever, just like the fate of the souls that they contemplate in silence. A long time ago, there was a forest where Lycoris grew everywhere year after year. A unique place of unrivaled beauty ... but of dark secrets. A hidden place where a multitude of mundane events happened every day; betrayals, deaths, businesses of dubious origin... The forest was dying more and more in the darkness that the people who resided in or around it harbored in their hearts._

_But every act, every past, present or future event, has its consequences. And that forest was destined to be dyed someday of the intense scarlet color of the flowers that it harbored, as a punishment, as if it was pouring in each and every one of its residents the curse that the Lycoris carried._

_But fate can always be changed._


	2. The forest mysteries

In a distant place, in a realm of magic and fantasy beyond imagination, a man observed the world from his little cave. Confined to solitude for being different, he contemplated life passing through the crystalline waters of a small pond that was his only window to the world. It was all he needed to know what would happen from one moment to the next. The future was unavoidable, he was certain of it. And the truth was that his predictions never, ever failed.

Dark days were expected for the inhabitants of Eulana, the village in the vicinity of the forest ... but especially for some of them …

* * *

 

In the village, the streets were full of life. People chatted cheerfully, the merchants brought their goods to sell them at the market of the square... .In short, it was a nice and quiet day.

However, not everything seemed to be good news. Recently, in the ears of some of the villagers had come the rumor of the appearance of beasts in the area. Bloodless beasts without heart, half-man half-monster, who seemed to take care of jobs such as money collectors, among other things. Many of them had the scam on their hands. Dirty jobs for dirty people. That was the kind of thing Victor detested the most. He was the hero, the image of Eulana. Everyone trusted him, and as such, his job was to quiet the panic and try to take care of watching the forest as a good hunter and as the worthy successor to his father he was…

He walked through the streets chatting cheerfully with two of his staunch admirers, when he caught a glimpse of familiar red hair. That particular and innocent way of walking, practically jumping, was unmistakable. His attention immediately focused on the aforementioned figure and, seeing that he could lose sight of him from one moment to the next, he immediately ran towards him. There was that sweet and beautiful boy, as bright and pure as the warmest sun, which everyone was dazzled by. The same one who carried with a fateful destiny that certain sorcerer of blue hair had predicted from the same moment in which their eyes crossed ...

“Good morning, Blood.” The orange-haired man appeared from behind, taking advantage of the fact that the young boy was distracted.

“Vi-Victor!” The red-haired boy started, but then smiled back at him. “Good morning Víctor!” Blood greeted him enthusiastically. He was very happy since he had gotten food, a lot. Surely his brother would also be happy. So, he had enough reasons to go wandering around with a smile on his face. The weather was also good, and Blood loved it, he loved the sun. It made the plants bloom and filled everything with warmth and light. With all those factors, that was undoubtedly one of the best days of his life. “I'm glad to see you! How are you?”

“Oh Blood, dear and beautiful Blood.” the young hunter went on in a flattering tone, staring at him with a wicked smile on his face. “You look as adorable as ever. Where do you come from so happy?”

“Yes! Today I have gotten many things for my brother thanks to the letter I have given to the village chief" He replied with a beaming smile.

“I come from hunting a few good pieces in the forest. It has been a profitable day.” Victor grinned with ego, raising his booty triumphantly, trying to cajole him. “If you want, we could enjoy them together~”

“I'm very happy for you Victor, but I have to hurry and go home so I can give this to my brother! I love him too much!”

Victor sighed, somewhat saddened at the refusal, or perhaps pretending to be.

“How cruel you are with me, Blood.” he exclaimed, showing himself hurt by his words, although in reality he was being more melodramatic than anything else. He needed to get Blood’s attention in any way. “All I want is to have a good time with you, to have fun together ... But you always think only about Graham, although he is not even able to protect you.” His tone changed noticeably and he moved closer to him, sliding his arm slyly until he managed to grab his waist in a provocative and sensual way. “If you came with me I would do anything for you, my beloved Blood.”

“But my brother loves me!” the boy snapped, pushing Victor away from him before the hunter made more contact. He didn’t want to hurt him either, but he didn’t feel comfortable every time the hunter approached him so much. It even reached the point of being oppressive. “I'm fine with my brother ... I don’t need anything else ... Don’t get involved, please!”

Victor couldn’t help reacting immediately at that comment. That boy was too innocent, unaware of the number of plots that wove into the shadows in his family. And it wasn’t like he could tell him all at once. It would be too much for him. It could have unintended consequences, and, knowing Blood, it would surely have.

“Graham cannot protect you. On the other hand, I do can.” he added with a certain arrogant tone as he picked up the weapon he carried at his back. “Lately it seems that strange beast-men have been seen hanging around in the woods." Suddenly his expression changed, becoming much more serious. There was even a hint of concern in his eyes. All the arrogance had vanished with a snap of his fingers. “Be very careful where you go. You cannot trust anyone. You're a bite too appetizing for beings like those, Blood." the hunter explained, grabbing him by the shoulders, staring at him with his intense blue irises that practically seemed to reflect the sky. “You need someone who can protect you from the danger that lurks out there, and only I can do that.” But that ego came back soon after. Suddenly he held the rifle firmly, pointing it at nowhere, as if he had an invisible target in front of him. “If one of those beasts approaches you any time …" and pretended to fire the weapon. “With only one BANG! of my weapon all would be solved.”

Blood didn’t understand how the atmosphere and the topic of the conversation gave such an unexpected and sudden change, but Victor's ego was returned.

“I'm fine! I'm fine!” The warm-haired little boy gushed, somewhat uncomfortable with the sudden turn of events. “I don’t think anything happens to me... I'm sure the forest’s people have their reasons to do what they do and I haven’t done anything... I'm sure we could even be good friends!” He added cheerful and carefree, while his smile shone like the sun.

With that comment Victor, who had been holding all the time, already ended up exploding completely. Could Blood and his unconsciousness reach such a point? Did he know nothing about the number of dangers lurking in every corner? Did he really ignore the world around him?

“It's impossible to be friends with beasts like those!” he interrupted abruptly. “They are cruel and bloodthirsty beings without feelings. They only bring more danger to the forest, and they only provoke misfortunes." Suddenly he grabbed him by the shoulders, fixing his gaze. His blue irises hid more concern than it might appear at first glance. “Open your eyes Blood. A young man as appetizing as you could be their next victim.”

“Don’t say that!” The redhead jerked away almost immediately, clenching his fists in sheer frustration. “It's wrong to speak with such contempt of someone you don’t even know, Victor.

Why did it have to be like this? Everyone always thought the worst. It was good to be cautious, but it was wrong to judge someone you do not know. He could understand that Victor was worried, but in his opinion, the hunter could be somewhat exaggerated.

“I'm not going to change my mind!” Finally, the redhead, who saw that Victor didn’t attend to reasons, simply stuck out his tongue in a childish gesture and ran to the vicinity of the forest, to his home. “Goodbye Víctor~”

“Wait Blood!”

But by the time the hunter wanted to react, the young boy was already left. That boy... was as cute as problematic ...

* * * *

At that moment, in Blood's house, beatings and broken pots were heard. Graham was trying to escape the attack of the silver fox, the leader of the band of debt collectors who had been ravaging the people of Eulana for some time.

“W-we can talk about it ... they say that people understand each other by talking things over.” The brown-haired man tried desperately to make the debt collector come to his senses, although his fear might smell miles away. But it was to be expected. Not every day you had to deal with a beast-man in what was supposed to be the safety of your home.

“You're kidding, right?” he had to be. A sickly and weak man who was more afraid than embarrassed had the audacity to confront him.

A deranged laugh came from between Tod’s lips. That poor man couldn’t be saying it seriously. That he, the Great Todd, the almighty leader of a band of beasts, was going to give in. It was a really funny nonsense. His reputation would be in imminent danger if he even thought of doing something like that.

“I cannot give you more time~ Hehe~ Nothing personal~ Just work ~”

“But just a little more.” the chestnut asked desperately. “I swear I will give you the money as soon as I get everything together. It's just that my father is not here right now and I don’t know when he will return. And without him we don’t have money and... well …”

Graham tried to explain himself in some way, trying to make the fox understand the tricky situation in which he was. But nothing seemed to serve to make him see reason. Todd was a man of principle ... yes, his own, of course.

“He! That good-for-nothing?” A sinister smile appeared on his face, and then he kicked the table, causing it to fall to the ground brutally. “Forget it. He will never come back~” He approached the man, putting his hands on his shoulders in a mocking irony pretending he was trying to help him, but it was clear that it wasn’t like that. “I'll give you a little advice ... Because I like you…” Suddenly his expression changed, denoting a certain seriousness, but also a macabre air, as he began to speak in a more persuasive tone at the same time that the environment was becoming more and more dense at every minute. “Do not expect anything from him ... Instead, sell what you "have"~”

Graham tensed at hearing those words, noticing how the anguish was increasing and a knot began to take shape in his throat. It was annoying, overwhelming. And if that wasn’t enough, the fox's singing tone didn’t bode well. Something stirred inside him. With just one look he knew exactly what he was talking about, and he wasn’t willing to let him get away with it, let alone pay such a high price. He wouldn’t let something like that happen again.

“No, no Blood. Everything except him. I'll do anything but please don’t take my little brother. He is the most precious thing I have.” He knelt before the fox with a pitiful and desperate cry. For anyone who looked at him there, at that very moment, would surely seem like a disheartening scene... Graham was just a poor man trying to protect the little entirety his family had left. “I beg you ... do not take him...”

However, despite all his attempts, nothing served to move the cold heart of that beast. The only thing it provoked was a new and loud laugh in the young silver-haired man. That was very funny, too much funny. After everything that happened in the past in that grotesque house, how was he even capable of claiming him for a trifle like that? He could deceive any fool but not him... and less with everything he knew.

Besides... getting rid of one mouth more to feed would only make things easier for him, right?

“The most precious thing?” An ironic laugh erupted from his lips. He should rather thank him for giving him such privilege. “Or rather the only thing you have left…” One life and all the debts would be paid. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse. “Come on~ You've done it more times, with your father… He handled everything but you didn’t seem to oppose much... So what if you do it once again? It doesn’t matter at all” His tone was cold, sharp as a blade, ready to reopen Graham's old wounds. Everything was legitimate and valid in order to achieve his objectives, even if it meant using the most rude methods that could went through his head. “After this you will definitely live better~”

Graham was speechless. The fox just hit him where it hurt the most. It didn’t mean he was proud of his sins, in fact what he most wanted was to have never committed them. There was no day he didn’t regret his actions. However, all he did was to survive, albeit selfishly. Even if he was nothing more than a simple useless waste of a man, he wanted to continue living.

He looked at those heterochromatic eyes at the same time that a languishing sigh escaped his lips. In his gaze it could be seen the uneasiness and fear that the mere idea of losing the most precious thing he had, the only person he had left, provoked in him.

“Is there is no other way...?” he dared to ask, in a last desperate plea to save the life of his poor and innocent brother. Because if there was any way, and it had to be, he would face it without hesitation, whatever the consequences. He wouldn’t allow himself to lose anyone else. He had left too much along the way. “There must be something, something that doesn’t involve Blood. He has nothing to do with this..." He looked up, digging his pleading grayish irises into the fox. “I don’t want to lose him too.”

However, not even with that he could appeal to the compassion, let alone the understanding of the half-beast’s cold heart.

“No ... There's nothing else~” the fox erased again all his hopes at once with his sly smile and his clear indifference. His maliciousness came back once again, and more intensely. “But if you do it, in addition to paying off your debt I can offer you some more money. That boy with his fiery hair and healthy body is worth his weight in gold~" he looked at him with a wily smile, speaking with a tempting voice. He wasn’t going to let it escape. If he got that idiot's little brother, he could get a large sum of money. He had to do it ... he had to achieve it. After all ... What was more important than money in that life? It was the only thing that couldn’t betray him ... And he didn’t care if by thinking in such a materialistic way everybody considered him insensitive.

“I'm back, brother!”

A jovial voice suddenly burst into the room, accompanied by the creak of the door. Blood had just returned home and what he had found was quite... unexpected. Who could that person next to his brother be?

“Uh? Have we company?”

Graham took a while to react, trying to recompose himself immediately. His little brother had just arrived and he couldn’t let Blood see him in that pitiful condition. He hoped the red-haired boy hadn’t heard anything they were talking about, although Blood was too innocent to notice anyway. The best choice would be to pretend that nothing happened.

“Oh Blood, you're here.” He approached the redhead, forcing a carefree smile and attitude, trying to make him see that everything was fine. “Nothing happens. Besides, this man was already leaving. There is no problem.”

The fox raised an eyebrow, slightly confused to see the situation that was taking place before his eyes. Graham was suddenly being fraternal with his brother? A sly smile appeared on his lips as he understood what was happening, and the weight of his hand fell on the older man's shoulder.

"Think about what I said..." the fox whispered in a hissing tone, giving him a knowing look as he approached the door. Before leaving, he stopped short and turned to say goodbye to the boy. “Have a good day "sweet Blood"~” and he left once and for all, giving a hint of a wicked smile and walking away with light pace and even jumping occasionally while his tail waved playfully as a result of the satisfaction he felt every time that everything went according to his plans.

The boy’s reddish gaze was watching enraptured the cheerful image of the fox going lost in the distance with a singing and happy air. After seeing him disappear on the horizon, he turned to focus his attention on his brother once and for all.

“Good day!” he said with an excited smile, approaching the older one. “Brother, are you okay?” he added with a trace of worry in his voice. “Everything is a mess, I'll clean up!” Blood knew that Graham always tried hard for both of them despite his weak health. He always wanted to carry everything completely alone. And Blood loved him, admired him for everything he did. How could he change that precious older brother who went out of his way to care for him? He just wanted to make him happy, that's why he was going to help as much as possible.

“It is not necessary. I'm fine, don’t worry.” Graham answered trying to ignore everything that had happened and simply approach to sit in one of the chairs, trying to calm down and change the subject. Luckily for him, the child was too naive to realize what was really happening. That made things easier for him in order to avoid unpleasant topics. Of course, the load on his shoulders didn’t diminish. The heaviness settled in his legs and in his whole being just thinking what awaited him. He had to make a titanic effort to not collapse in front of the minor. “Did you deliver the letter to the village chief as I asked?”

“Yes!” Blood answered with a huge smile, placing on the table the basket he was carrying. “And they have given me so many things!”

Graham smiled watching him. His little brother was too precious. Just seeing him could make your day brighter. It was as if Blood had been greatly blessed, as if he were an angel whose existence was a beacon in a stormy sea, and whose smile shone brighter than any star in the sky.

He got up and embraced him effusively in a silent lament. How was he going to sell him? He didn’t want to lose anyone else. Blood was the only thing he had.

“Blood ... My precious Blood ... I won’t let that wretch put his paw on you…” it seemed that Graham more than talking to his brother was thinking to himself out loud, while guilt and anguish continued pricking his conscience.

He would never give Blood to that crazy fox. He couldn’t.

“Brother?” the boy said, somewhat confused. He didn’t know what his brother was referring to with that. He didn’t understand the situation very well, or why his brother hugged him so hard. Graham seemed gone, absent, as if he had his head elsewhere. But there was something that he understood ... or, rather, he felt. “Brother ... I can’t breathe…”

Graham took his time to process it and realize it. Seeing his brother starting to turn redder than his own hair due to the firm grip, he immediately let him go.

“I'm sorry, Blood.” He passed his hand over his forehead, dejected, while a drop of sweat trickled down his face. The truth was that managing to keep the house and his brother was not easy. Every time he had less strength for everything, although he wanted to make Blood believe otherwise. Graham had to be strong for both, but like any person, he also had his limits. “Maybe I should rest a bit.”

“Do you feel bad? Do you need something?” The little boy put his hand on his brother's shoulders, worried. Graham’s health was fragile, Blood was aware of it, so he would do everything possible to reduce the burden in some way. “Rest well! I will take care of everything!”

Graham looked at him tenderly, smiling. His little brother was too good and adorable.

“Thank you Blood. I'm going to sleep a little then. If you need anything, let me know.”

* * * *

At nightfall, after a satisfying day, Todd returned to the debt collectors’ cave, waiting for a warm welcome despite knowing more than enough that something like that would never happen…

“The great master Todd has returned!” the fox shouted as soon as he crossed the threshold. He had just arrived and was in a good mood, he had to admit it. There was nothing better than the pleasant feeling when everything turned out nicely. “Where are my boys?~”

Todd looked around the room looking for his "proteges".

It was a furnished place, cozy, but with a sinister touch at the same time. A peculiar leather armchair crowned the "home", like a triumphant throne in which the fox took a seat every day. It was a reminder of who was in charge and whom they had to pay attention to if they didn’t want to be punished for it. He was the alpha male of the gang, it was an indisputable fact. And that was their castle, the fortress that protected them from the evil humans outside. Those guys should be grateful that he saved them from those dark times in an act of nobility and mercy worthy of a god.

“Always so loud. As if we didn’t know you're back.” replied a young half-bird, with turquoise hair and a sweet boyish face that would seem harmless to anyone at first sight. The precious feathers of its slender wings gleamed with the light of the hearth fire, emitting soft and iridescent purple and bluish reflections.

“Merlin!” the fox approached him amicably, running his arm over her tiny shoulders in a rather burdensome attitude. “Just the guy who I wanted to see~ We are gonna hit the jackpot, boy. I have a big business in my hands, A REAL GOLD MINE!”

“Goldmine?” the young boy raised an eyebrow with some distrust. If Tod was so happy that meant he wasn’t plotting anything good.

“I hope it's something fun. We haven’t done anything fun for a long time.” Suddenly a voice came from a young blond half-hyena. He was sitting in one of the chairs on the main table, sitting in a bad way, putting his feet on it in an undisciplined attitude.

“Bernard! What way to talk to your beloved leader it that? Say a "Welcome" at least” he scolded him for his attitude, but soon a wry laugh came from between his lips, showing his sharp fangs. “Rather it is an easy job. I'll tell you." He took another look at the place, but his eyes did not meet the person he was looking for. “Where is Randolph?”

“I'm here.”

A new voice suddenly emerged from the shadows, while a canid figure with dark hair appeared from them. His most notable feature was, undoubtedly, the scar that crossed his face.

“Randolph! My favorite wolf.” Tod added, placing all his attention on the young man. The person he was looking for was right there. “Perfect ... Now that we're all here..." He cleared his throat a bit, trying to reinforce his authority. Then he began to speak, focusing on the work he carried in his claws. “It's about a kidnapping, kidnapping a boy from a family who owes us money..." His eyes lit up suddenly. “The boy is like a jewel! We will win a fortune! It will be a piece of cake!” Tod exclaimed excitedly. He couldn’t wait to finally get his well deserved prize.

The first to refuse was Bernard, claiming that it wasn’t a job of his liking if there was no blood and fun. Soon, Merlin followed, who didn’t want to get into that kind of wrong...

However, Randolph accepted almost immediately.

“I will do it.” he affirmed with confidence and forcefulness.

"Oh!~" A sly smile appeared on the wicked lips of the silver fox. Apparently this time he wouldn’t have the necessity to use his tricks. Everything would come out as he wanted. “Well said~ I knew I could trust you Randolph~”

“What do I have to do?” The werewolf’s cold tone, practically devoid of emotion, surprised the young half-bird, who didn’t seem to agree with that hasty decision.

Despite this, Merlin remained silent, while Todd continued his explanation.

“It's very easy. You just have to take the boy in the red hood~ Nothing else~”

“A boy with a red hood?” Randolph didn’t understand anything but chose to ignore it. That would make things easier. If there was anything he learned after those years with the silver fox was to ask as little as possible and not even thinking on questioning him. “Fine.” He just wanted to finish as soon as possible. He still had a lot of debt to pay to that damn fox, and Todd didn’t miss the opportunity to take advantage and remind him that fact again and again.

He watched as the fox smiled and continued to give him the instructions to follow, satisfied to get what he wanted. Then, he decided that the best thing to do was leave the place without further ado. The less he had to endure that place and Todd, the better. So he simply walked out the door with the intention of finding some way to distract himself and not turn things around until the time to fulfill his mission came.

“Randolph! Wait, Randolph!” A childlike voice came from the back of the werewolf. Merlin had run after him the instant he saw him leave the cave. The half-bird was not sure of the decisions his companion had made and he knew he would end up regretting it. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time something like that happens. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Randolph sighed when he heard him approach. The last thing he needed now were sermons. As he didn’t know what he had to do.

“I know what I'm doing, Merlin.” he answered almost immediately in a sharp tone. “I just want to end this as soon as possible.”

“I don’t think you should do it…” but the youngest kept insisting, showing a serious and worried tone while approaching the wolf even more. “You know it does not suit you”

“That is the least.” Randolph added with the same cold tone of always. In spite of everything, he still didn’t give in, closing even more. “Whether it suits me or not is my business. And it is not the first time that we have to do a job like this.” he argued, letting out a resigned sigh. “If doing it Todd leaves me alone for a while, at least I'll be calmer.”

"I know what you try to do." Merlin persisted despite all the denials received. He couldn’t let Randolph carry out what he was thinking. He had even come to recognize the wolf as a family, or at least he seemed to be the closest to having one he ever known. “And it doesn’t make sense that now you obsess over what happened so long ago." the little beast's tone remained the same, but inside he was more desperate to make him see reason. “He's just a boy… He doesn’t have to go through this…”

Hearing about the past brought memories to Randolph’s mind, and not exactly pleasant ones. The mere fact of thinking made him uneasy, even causing his hair to bristle.

“How many times have I told you to stop mentioning what happened.” he muttered, clenching his fists, trying not to lose his temper. He looked noticeably altered. “Or do you think that I like the idea of having to do this? If I had a choice, I would refuse. But you know as well as me that I do not.” His gaze darkened as he contemplated the shadows of the past, resigned to his fate. “I owe Todd too much.”

But Merlin was not willing to give up so easily.

“Are you okay being a slave?” The boy raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down. “You look like an animal in an exhibition, locked in his cage... Have you ever thought about being free?”

_Freedom._

It was a nice word, and very significant for Randolph, for someone who had spent all his life repressed, locked inside a row of bars.

Did Merlin think he didn’t want to be free? That he did not want to be able to decide for himself and do what he wanted? But he knew that privilege was not meant for someone like him, someone who didn’t deserve it, and even less with the amount of sins he already carried in his back.

He smiled sadly at the same time his mind got lost in a multitude of thoughts and desires that would never be fulfilled. Even the illusion of finding a home he had in the past, had been relegated to a simple chimera, truncated by the tricks of a cunning and ruthless fox.

He had no hope left.

“That term is something only within the reach of a lucky few. Some, on the other hand, are destined to bear the weight of our own chains forever…”

“It's your decision, so I cannot tell you anything…”

So the young bird, already somewhat tired of seeing the wolf self-destructing, prepared to turn around with the intention of returning in his footsteps. However, before leaving, he turned a moment to give him a last advice.

“...but if all you do is lament, you'll never know if you're really one of those few people who can do it.”

 

* * *

 

_Thanks for reading. We really hope you like this story. And if that is the case, we invite you to comment and fave it. That encourages us to keep writing more and more._

_Also sorry if there is any mistake. We have tried our best to translate it since the original was made in spanish._

_Have a nice day. See you soon~~_


	3. Grazes of fate

 

“I'm leaving!~”

Blood's sweet voice sounded as he hurried out the door.

He had to take a package to a relative. That was something he used to do quite often. Bread, cheese, raspberry juice... Those were all things he loved! But he couldn’t eat them. Alvin was lucky, no doubt. But hey, at least he could chat with him for a while. It was always interesting to see what story would Alvin tell him. He seemed to know a lot. And Blood was also very sorry that Alvin was alone. Apparently, everyone was afraid of him, although the redhead didn’t know why. But nothing mattered anymore, he would take charge of keeping the wizard company.

He was walking so quietly with those thoughts hanging around his head, bathed in the sun's rays. The star shone from the highest point, transmitting its heat to everything. Those radiant days were what Blood loved the most. He also loved listening to the chirping of birds, accompanied by the occasional noise coming from the forest or vegetation that was on the sides of the road. Surely, it would be from small wild animals. The redhead could imagine fluffy and cuddly bunnies scampering around...

In short, it was a splendid day.

Then, a person of sinister air came to meet him from nowhere. He was a dark-haired young man with green eyes and tanned skin, wearing a black hood practically identical to the redhead's.

_“Blood, cute Blood”_

Upon hearing that chilling voice the redhead jumped like a cat, his body hair bristling. It almost seemed like a sound coming from another world. However, when he stopped to look who that voice was from, he discovered it came from just an ordinary boy like him. Then, Blood’s usual huge smile appeared on his lips. That boy was a stranger, but at the same time he seemed strangely close. For some inexplicable reason, Blood had the sensation of having seen him before.

“Hello!” Blood greeted him with a friendly air, stopping to look the boy more closely with that doubt still hovering in his mind. “Do we know each other?”

Meanwhile, the dark-haired young man watched him intently, practically as if he were examining him in silence for no specific reason.

_“You wear a nice red hood. And that basket ... It's for someone, isn’t it?”_

“Yes! How did you know? Can you read my mind?” said the boy quite impressed. He watched him fascinated, his red eyes shining with remarkable illusion. “It's for a relative, I'm going to his home now... Do you want to accompany me?” He offered kindly, though reconsidering it a bit afterwards. He was quite impulsive and always launched without taking others into account. That habit was something he needed to change. “Well, j-just if you want…” Blood continued in a nervous tone. “Maybe you're busy…”

The tan-skinned young man laughed softly.  

_"Your hood is red... like Lycoris flowers ..."_ An idea crossed his mind. It was the perfect occasion. _"Many flowers grow near here. We can go see them. And I’m sure if you take a bouquet of them to your friend along with what you bring in the basket, surely you will encourage him much more."_

“Yes!” Blood didn’t hesitate a second. The boy had hit the nail on the head, Blood loved those flowers too much. Surely Alvin would be happy to receive them, and that would make Blood happy too. Everything would be fine, Blood didn’t think it could go wrong. “Take me with you please!”

The dark-haired man was surprised at how quickly the boy accepted the proposal. It was ridiculous but at the same time funny how easy it was to convince him. Too innocent.

_“So, come with me.”_

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Graham was preparing dinner when he noticed a small detail.

He looked at the table, finding that everything was made for two. He had cut and put to stew carrots for two, he was preparing eggs for two... He was already accustomed to do everything for two people.

However, he hadn’t realized that night they weren’t going to be two people. Blood would stay for dinner with Alvin to keep him company.

That boy... what was he going to do with him? He was always caring for others. It didn’t matter if they were family or friends ... or even a simple passerby on the road. For Blood, they were all the same. He didn’t make any kind of distinction with people, his pure and innocent heart prevented him from doing so.

Just thinking it a knot formed in his throat, while a horrible and uncomfortable pressure installed in his chest, mixed with the feeling of anguish, of guilt that overwhelmed him so much. How could he have sink that low? Sell his own brother? What the hell was he thinking? Hadn’t he already learned enough after what happened in the past? How far would the sins of his family go? How far would their own go?

The fox’s treacherous voice still echoed in his ears, tormenting him in every second that passed. Accepting his conditions had been a tremendous mistake, an error he would surely regret each and every day of the rest of his life…

 

_“It seems you have reconsidered my offer. I'm glad to see you make the right decision.”_

_Graham closed the door behind him, hoping his brother would not realize what was happening. He had left the window open to meet the fox without the need to leave home._

_His face revealed he was not entirely convinced with the decision to take, although it seemed to be the only viable option to overcome that mess._

_“I still think there should be another option. Also, I don’t understand why you want Blood. He is just a child.”_

_“I think you do not realize the little gem you have at home, ‘friend’” the fox emphasized the irony in the last word of the sentence. Tod wasn’t anyone's friend. “Well, the Great Tod will have the kindness to explain it to you~” A sly laugh came from between his fangs before continuing. “Your little brother has some ... let's call it ‘unusual physical characteristics’. He has what is commonly known as ‘natural charm’ and being so young, surely anyone would pay a good amount of money for him…” The fox made a gesture with his fingers as a sign of large sums of money. “Poor thing, I don’t want to imagine how depraved will be the person who could end up buying him... I have a feeling that his innocence won’t last long~ I can imagine him with his completely saddened angelic face saying ‘Brother, why did you do this to me?’” The fox sweetened his voice, trying to imitate the red-haired boy's before he laughed again. “And regarding if there is another option ... If you know one, I'm all ears ~”_

_In case Graham didn’t feel miserable enough knowing what he was about to do, the fox had only made his discomfort worse. The mere fact of thinking in which hands his brother could fall, caused him to regret a thousand times his decision, while the image of a small Blood picking wild flowers and giving them to him with a smile formed in his mind._

_“I think I'm going to retract my decision. Blood does not deserve it.”_

_“Are you sure you can afford that?” a sly grin appeared on his face. Tod knew he had the man on the ropes. It was time to give the final touch to achieve his purpose. It was all too easy, but what could he expect with his great ingenuity? “Maybe... if I kept a larger share of the benefits... I would make sure that he didn’t fall into ‘that kind’ of hands.”_

_Graham looked at him immediately upon hearing it. That damned fox was using him, he had no doubt of that. Tod was using him and his brother shamelessly in order to achieve his own purposes. And the worst thing was that he had no choice but to accept what the fox was proposing._

_That was the only option. That way Blood could have a place where he could live at ease, with people who will provide him everything he needed. That was all Graham wanted for his brother, everything he couldn’t and could never give him; a real family, a real life, a place where Blood will never be hungry or cold. A place to belong to, where he could smile day after day without having to worry about anything and continue being that innocent and radiant child like the sun._

_“If... if I promise you a higher percentage, do you swear to me that Blood will have at least a good place to live and he would be in good care?” the man's voice was trembling, while he lowered his eyes, his heart sinking._

_Then the fox’s expression changed suddenly, to the surprise of the brown-haired man. The burlesque tone he had used earlier disappeared without a trace, as his sarcastic smile did. Tod was being serious, and it was demonstrated when that simple pair of words sprang from his lips without hesitation._

_“I swear.”_

 

His memories vanished suddenly as he watched the clouds begin to gather through the window. A storm was forming, and it didn’t seem to be small precisely. Graham hoped that Blood wouldn’t get wet, or that he would at least find a place to take refuge if he didn’t get to the sorcerer's house in time. He didn’t want his little brother to catch a cold…

Suddenly his thoughts stopped dead. Why was he thinking those things now? Maybe none of that happened. After all, Blood wouldn’t even get to Alvin's house. The fox would take charge of it.

Graham let out a languid sigh and, perhaps as a reflex, his gaze wandered around the room until his eyes reached the door. At that moment the image of his brother began to take shape in his head; a sweet and smiling Blood saying goodbye before leaving, oblivious to the fate that awaited him.

Then he stared thoughtful at the landscape.

Yes, it was definitely going to be a dark night.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

“Is beautiful!” Blood exclaimed as he glanced across the vast field of lycoris. His eyes widened in amazement, just like his lips, marveling at the thousands of flowers growing.

_“It is. Go ahead, you can enjoy it as much as you want.”_ said the dark-haired boy watching closely with a look of satisfaction on his face.

The young red-haired boy nodded excitedly as he approached, bending down to brush gently one of those crimson petals. He couldn’t look away from that fragile being who seemed to have one foot in the other world. He even seemed to be able to perceive a spectral aura around its stem. They seemed so pretty, with such a special and unique shape. It was almost hypnotic, as if the flowers themselves exerted some kind of enchantment, a supernatural effect on him.

A fleeting drop leaked inside Blood's hood, causing him to raise his head. Then, as if someone had turned on the tap, it started raining hard. A gust of strong wind took Blood’s hood violently, leaving his hair at the mercy of the rain, causing them to soak as his clothes. Blood hugged the basket in a desperate attempt to protect it from the inclemency of the weather. He didn’t want the delicious food his brother had given him for the sorcerer to spoil in the rain and not arrive in good condition.

“We must take refuge! Quick!”

He began to look around for some place to take refuge, but before he could see something in the immense blackness that had formed, the tanned indicated a path.

_“Follow me”_ said the green-eyed man decisively. _“There is a cave nearby. We can take refuge there.”_ as a way to reinforce his argument he decided to use a ruse. That way, surely, the redhead would accept. _“Besides ... Won’t you want that precious hood to ruin with the rain, right?”_

“Right!” the boy accepted the proposal, not losing even a second in removing the garment. His friend was right, again. He didn’t want the hood to ruin because of the rain, so he folded it carefully to put it inside his basket. “I'm ready!”

The redhead began to run in the direction he indicated, without looking back. Everything was too dark, he was practically moving blindly, meeting the thicket of the forest with each step he took. The weather made progress difficult for them, and more so with each minute that passed. The rain didn’t stop, creating large mires here and there. Some of them were even cause for the redhead to stumble in his progress.

Due to the difficulty of the road, the storm growing stronger, and other causes, Blood didn’t even realize that the journey had ended until he was inside the cave.

“We're finally here!” he exclaimed satisfied to arrive safely.

However, when he wanted to share that feeling with his new friend ... nobody answered him.

Blood turned around only to discover that the boy had disappeared without trace. He wasn’t anywhere. He thought that maybe the tanned had fallen, and if that was the case he had to go look for him.

He was ready to abandon the momentary protection of the cave, when, suddenly, lightning struck and the sound of thunder followed it, causing the little boy to shrink in a corner. He couldn’t leave that place, or rather, he was too scared to do it. He felt a little bad about it, but surely the boy was fine. He seemed to know the forest after all.

He scanned the place carefully, trying to see as much detail as possible. It was a rather wide cave, one could say that it was a kind of grotto. Eroded stone stairs descended into a larger room. Curious, Blood began to go downstairs carefully, since in addition to the visibility was quite nil, he was so clumsy he could stumble and roll for them at any time.

That place was beautiful, as if it was from a story. Despite the strong storm, it seemed to have a magic light. The vegetation grew capriciously on the walls. To the right, a small lagoon reflected the flashes of the storm and very close to it, one could see what looked like the remains of a bonfire. Beside it was a rudimentary bed of straw covered by a sheet. In those moments it seemed quite comfortable. Blood was so tired that his eyes started closing. Surely nothing would happen if he sleep a moment before the owner came.

Little by little, he began to curl up into a ball, his eyelids closed heavily and the little Blood fell asleep.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

After a while, the owner of that cave returned. His thin blue hair stuck lightly to his forehead somewhat soaked by the downpour, so he had to shake a little. He had spent half a day waiting for his prey in the right place, but no one appeared. Tod wouldn’t be happy with that news, in fact he could perfectly imagine how irritated the fox was going to be.

He came home with the idea to lie down and rest when he saw something was occupying his bed. It was a reddish shape curled up on the sheet. What was that... It was... A boy?

The boy was peacefully asleep and didn’t seem to wake up easily. He was leaning against the wall while clinging tightly to what he held in his arms: a basket. By the way he held it one could say it was something precious to him. His strong breathing was heard accompanied by some sleepy whispers. And to emphasize it, he had a silly smile on his face.

Randolph didn’t understand anything. Why was a boy sleeping in his cave? How had he got there? Randolph would have to destroy that place to erase his tracks and find another home. He couldn’t let anyone discover him.

"The... raspberry juice... is delicious..." the redhead murmured with a giggle, half asleep.

The wolf approached stealthily after lighting the fire and trying to dry a little, when suddenly he heard him talking, what made him laugh a little. The boy was completely asleep, apparently dreaming. The truth was that despite being an intruder, he seemed quite cute.

Then, at that moment the reddish eyes of the aforementioned intruder slowly opened up, meeting the wolf's face. Blood was so close that he could admire every detail of it, like the huge scar that crossed his face, the fierce and sharp fangs that peeked out from under his upper lip, but also his pale and delicate skin, the dark blue strands of his bangs that could almost tickle him, or his bewitching and fiery eyes of different colors protected by those long, thin lashes. Those details made him quite beautiful. But Blood couldn’t stay admiring him eternally, he had to hurry and apologize. He felt as he had somehow broken into that boy's home without permission, and that was very wrong.

Blood left the basket he had been holding all the time and sat up a little to bend his head slightly in apology.

“I... I…” the words began to come out abruptly of his mouth because of the nerves. “It was raining... And there was no other place... I'm sorry! I didn’t want to bother you!”

Randolph raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He really did not expect that reaction.

“You apologize after having gotten yourself into an stranger’s house.” though he understood and couldn’t blame him for that. It was pouring out so that if he were in his place, he would have done the same. “But it doesn’t matter, I understand. You were just trying to take refuge.”

Seeing that the wolf didn’t seem offended, the boy could relax, while a loud sigh escaped his lips. He had taken a huge weight off. Blood knew he was right, that regardless of what everyone said the beasts were not those heartless evil beings that annihilated everything in their path. Even that boy seemed adorable. Just looking at those eyes that reflected the stars he could know that the half-wolf would be unable to hurt him.

“Thank you!” He exclaimed cheerfully. “You are very kind, a wonderful person!” He smiled happy and angelic.

Randolph blinked in bewilderment at that unusual and unexpected response. Did that guy just call him a good person? To him, a cruel and bloodthirsty beast? Was he a fool? Normally anyone in their right mind would have run away just seeing him.

“You ... Are you not afraid of me?” He asked confused.

“Fear? Why should I be afraid? You have let me stay in your house!” that smile was not erased, but on the contrary, it was wider. Then, with the intention of befriending the boy he had just met, Blood held out his hand to the dark-haired one. “I am Blood.”

Randolph could not believe what he was seeing. He no longer knew if that boy was just a complete fool or if he was directly teasing him.

“You ... Don’t I  give you even a hint of fear? I'm a wolf. Besides..." His gaze darkened by the moment. “Anyone would run away just seeing this scar.” He added, pointing to his face. That mark kept bitter memories and was the unpleasant reminder of his insecurities.

However, Blood just shook his head. He didn’t scare him, more than that; seeing that melancholy look somehow made him sad too. He did not want him to feel bad. He needed to do something to make the wolf feel better.

“You don’t scare me! I know you wouldn’t hurt me. You have no reason to do it, right?” the boy, who was still with his hand outstretched, ended up taking it over the wolf’s to hold it firmly. “I don’t think you have anything wrong.”

Randolph was still trying to process everything.

What was that pleasant feeling he felt? It was ... Too warm, as if that boy radiated his own light, the opposite of him, who spent his time hidden in the shadows. But... Could he really trust the redhead? He seemed too harmless. Maybe he was just a boy, but if there was something Randolph learned over the years was that he should not lower his guard against anything.

Finally, he sighed resignedly and shook Blood’s hand.

“My name is Randolph.”

“Randolph? It is a very pretty name!” He exclaimed happily, responding to his grip more forcefully. He couldn’t stop smiling since that day he was meeting a lot of nice people. He wanted to get closer to him and that the wolf tell him a lot of things. “And what are you doing living here?” He continued, looking around the cave, though he suddenly stopped to take his gaze to the wolf. “Oh! Only if you want to tell me... S-Sure…” he added quite embarrassed to see that he had asked more, again. He always trusted anyone and did it, so people ended up getting angry with him about it.

“This is my home.” Replied the wolf in a brief manner and without changing that cold tone, sitting on the straw bed.  “And this, in fact, is my bed.”

“Y ... your bed!” Blood's face flared quickly because of the embarrassment. Not only had he been so impudent as to invade Randolph's house, but he had also gotten into his bed. “I am sorry! I am so sorry!” He lowered his head a couple of times as a reinforcement for his apology.

Randolph couldn’t help but laugh a little when he heard it. And it was something strange, if not impossible, to see that lonely wolf smile.

“You can stay. I'm not going to eat you for some nonsense like this.” Replied the blue-haired man, trying to soften his tone. He didn’t want to scare him or make him think he was just another beast.

“You laughed!” the redhead exclaimed highlighting the only thing that mattered to him. It seemed that he had completed his small mission of making his new friend feel better. “You have a beautiful laugh No doubt, that way you look so much better Randolph.”

Those words caused the wolf to blush slightly. How could that boy be so natural even in the presence of someone like him? He boy was too reckless ... Or too stupid. And the worst of all was that Blood was even able to embarrass him. Who the hell was that boy? He had to find out.

“Blood ... You're from the village near the forest, right?”

“Uh? Yes! Well no... I go there a lot, it's true but, I live in the forest! I live with my older brother in a little house near the village. It may be tiny but I live well! My brother tries very hard to handle everything... He thinks I don’t know it... but I would like to help him... I want to be useful..." He lowered his head a little frustrated. It really was annoying to be simply treated like an idiot. He wanted to be someone important to those around him. Suddenly, he lifted his head, shaking it, and smiled somewhat nervously. He had done it again. He had let himself be carried away by his emotions and had talked a lot more. He really was an idiot. “Sorry! I started talking too much…”

Randolph listened attentively. That boy seemed to have had a hard life, just like him. Maybe they had not experienced the same things, but he understood it perfectly.

“No, it’s nothing. It doesn’t hurt to talk every once in awhile, I guess.” He was used to being alone so he always kept everything to himself. It was like a kind of automatic defense mechanism, an insurmountable barrier that separated him from the harsh exterior. He never opened up to anyone, let alone a mere stranger.

“You can talk with me!!” exclaimed the boy noticing the sadness in the half-wolf words’. That wasn’t right. No one should be sad, least of all someone as wonderful as him. Blood wanted to make him smile, to make him laugh as before. He hoped his words were enough to achieve that purpose. “I've talked too much before so if you need to talk about anything... here I am!”

“It is not necessary. I'm fine, don’t worry.” Sighed Randolph laying down, watching the night sky from his position. He could see it in all its splendor through the entrance of the cave. It was a clear night, perfect to watch the stars shine in the sky. They always fascinated him, but they seemed as unattainable as his freedom.

The boy remained watching him for a few seconds, with the question of whether to lie down or not at his side. Blood had to admit that he was ashamed of what the wolf might think at being so daring, although on the other hand the wolf himself was the one who gave him permission to stay.

So he finally lay down next to him, following Randolph’s gaze to pose his also on the bright night sky.

“Stars are beautiful, right?” He commented in a soft whisper adding a small smile at the end.

"They are..." Randolph replied with a melancholic tone. “Really, my name resembles them. My name is Orion.” He wasn’t even sure why he was revealing information like that to the redhead. Nobody but Tod knew of his true identity. He had never told anyone, and yet there he was, talking to a complete stranger about it as if he had known him all his life.

“Orion?” The redhead looked down again when he heard it. The wolf looked quite down and he didn’t want to see him like that. He did not even understand the reason that made Randolph so distressed. That was a beautiful name. Whatever it was, he should encourage him in some way, even if it was just a few words. “It is also a beautiful name! Like Randolph! Both are beautiful! Very nice! They suit you a lot!”

The wolf sighed sadly. Too many things had happened that had made him leave behind that name, things that would remain in the shadows because they couldn’t and shouldn’t be revealed.

“I have not used that name for years. Now I simply respond to Randolph's name.” He answered concisely, watching the night sky as he consciously or unconsciously stretched out his hand as if trying to catch the stars.

“I understand…” the redhead answered in a somewhat decayed tone. It seemed that he was not doing too well to encourage him. Then, something unexpected happened, Randolph had just extended his hand to the sky. He couldn’t help but blink with remarkable curiosity as a question formed on his lips. “Do you want the stars?” He extended his hand as well as a reflection of what the wolf had just done. He had just come up with a great idea. “Then I will get them for you!!”

Randolph looked at him perplexed. How was he going to reach the stars? That was impossible. Nobody could get that high.

However, that comment as childish as tender managed to get a little laugh from the cold wolf.

“They are too far away for you to reach them.”

“But I made you smile!” the redhead exclaimed, looking directly into Randolph’s eyes. A little smirk appeared on his lips. He had achieved his purpose, and it was better than any star in the sky. “Your smile shines like a star! So I have managed to reach them!” He added a silly giggle to that comment, extending a hand to place it on the wolf's face. Surely his words would make him happier.

Randolph swallowed blushing at that unusual and unexpected comment. And the warmth on his cheek did nothing but make everything worse. What the hell? Why was that boy able to lower his guard so much? How did he soften him so easily? What kind of enchantment was he using on him?

“D-do not say nonsense. Let's go to sleep, it's late.” he added, turning his back on Blood, trying to calm down, avoiding the subject as best as he could. Where the hell had that boy come from?

“E-eh? What happens?” asked the boy surprised, without understanding that reaction. Why would the wolf have reacted like that? He had not said anything bad, right? He just wanted to cheer him up, would he have made him angry again? However, another more important question hovered in his mind. “Are you really going to let me stay here for the night?” He moved a little closer to the wolf's back, curiously.

Blood was already thinking he would have to go home in the complete gloom of the forest, with the sounds of whatever it was that roamed around startling him at every step. That terrified him, making him tremble at the mere thought of it.

Randolph instead, sighed turning around to cover him well with the blanket. He had noticed that the redhead was quite wet and imagined it was due to the downpour, since after all, he had arrived at the cave in the same condition. He noticed also that blood had his cheeks and nose quite reddish. Surely he was starting to catch a cold.

“Ok, you can stay.” even though he did not lose his seriousness, his voice sounded a little warmer, it could be said that even sweet. Although the redhead was an intruder, he was not going to behave badly with him. “Besides, I'm sure if you go out there you'll end up getting sick. You're still quite soaked.”

Blood's face lit up again at those words. Then, he moved closer to the wolf to give him an effusive hug under the blankets, unable to stop smiling.

“Thank you! Thank you very much!” He commented distancing himself a little when he realized that he had gotten carried away again. “Do you see it? You're a good person. If you were not good you wouldn’t let me stay ..." he looked directly into Randolph’s eyes, and added some last words with a soft voice. “I believe in you.”

The wolf's cheeks acquired a soft pink tone when he heard it. That boy managed to embarrass him again.

“It would be better if you try to sleep.” he concluded settled down, pretending to ignore those last phrases.

The wolf turned his back on Blood, when suddenly he heard a sneeze. He decided to ignore it, thinking that it wouldn’t happen again, but another sneeze followed after a while, and another, and another... until after a couple of times he turned around to look at the redhead, finding that his face was a little redder than before and emanated some heat.

A resigned sigh escaped his lips. In those moments more than a fierce beast, he looked like a nanny.

“In the end you caught a cold.” He exhaled looking at him and getting up for a moment. “It is normal sleeping soaking in a cave.” then he went to the fire and threw some more trunks to revive it and provide them with more heat.

The redhead stared at him. Randolph was very kind to him, no matter how much he complained or said. In the end, that gave him a pretty adorable touch. Blood could not believe that people were afraid of those who were like the wolf. The beasts had nothing wrong. Even the fox that bothered his brother every day must have something good inside him.

“Y-Yes ... Sorry for causing so much trouble…” commented the boy snuggling a little and scratching his cheek at feeling guilty about giving him so much work. He didn’t know how to thank him for what he was doing.

The wolf simply took a deep breath and returned to the bed of straw to remove Blood’s vest and cover him well with a fur blanket.

"Soon the fire will bring the temperature up and it won’t be so cold in here. And since your clothes are still soaked, cover yourself well with this. Little by little you will begin to feel warm.”

“Yeeees!” Blood answered with an adorable and innocent good boy's tone, letting himself be cared for.

Then, once he was well wrapped, he curled up, clinging to the blanquet the werewolf had just given him.

Randolph sighed and lay down beside him, watching him intently. He did not understand how that boy could be able to sleep so quietly next to him. Sleeping inches from a beast was something no one in their right mind would even consider. And yet there was Blood, huddled as if he were a small child, when not even children would dare to approach a beast like him.

"Are not you afraid that I might try to kill you while you sleep?"

“I do not think you're going to do it!” Blood answered looking at him with a smile, getting closer to the werewolf. “If you wanted to kill me you wouldn’t worry so much about my health..." His hands released the blanket to embrace him again. “...you're very warm ..." he said in a soft tone, letting out a yawn later. He was very comfortable, so much so that he could fall asleep. “... like a soft..." He yawned again. “... stuffed…” and so it was. His eyes began to close automatically when he felt the warmth of the half beast. “... animal…”

The wolf froze when he noticed the boy was hugging him. What was he doing? Why did he trust him so much ... And ... Why was it so nice that he did it? Randolph stared at his sleeping face, taking a moment to contemplate those childlike features. He really was a cute boy, a real gem. The wolf could not help wondering how could someone like him exist. And the worst of all was that the small, warm body that hugged him felt too good.

Randolph clicked his tongue and carefully placed Blood in his arms to warm him, taking advantage that the redhead couldn’t see him do that when he was asleep.

However, despite everything, that would be their last meeting. Randolph couldn’t allow that boy to suffer. He didn’t want to see him unhappy. The best thing would be that they never meet again. After all, being with him would only cause more problems for the redhead

“I’m sorry this is going to be the last time we see each other Blood... It's been incredible to meet you.” He whispered to himself closing his eyes to finally fall asleep.

* * *

 

And finally here is the second chapter of this very long story we are making. 

This is the last part bassed on the story of the Lycoris CD. After this chapter we have changed so many things and invented so many more. Also the secondary characters will have more weight, more scenes and will take more part in the plot.

You could expect lots of mistery, surprises and drama, lots of drama.

We advice you to grab tissues, and grab a lot.  


We hope you like it and invite you to express your opinion and feelings about this work. The feedback really encourages us to work and improve more ^w^

Thanks for reading and see you in the next chapter!


	4. Behind the mask

The next morning Blood began to open his reddish eyes, blinking a little, somewhat disoriented. It even take a few minutes to him to realize he wasn’t in his bed, nor in his room either. Then, he remembered what happened the night before and Randolph. He immediately turned excitedly with the intention of awakening him... However, the wolf was no longer by his side. At that moment, he tried to look for him in the rest of the cave, thinking that maybe he could had woken up before him.

But he found nothing. The werewolf had disappeared completely.

“Randolph?” he called him, but did not get any response. The wolf still didn’t appear, and he didn’t seem to be nearby either.

The sudden disappearance of the blue-haired man undoubtedly made him quite sad but, he could not be depressed! He had to maintain a positive attitude. It wasn’t the end of the world. Surely, they could still see each other again. Blood believed faithfully in it, since that night he had felt a special connection with Randolph.

For the moment, he would have to go back home. He hadn’t been able to get to Alvin's house, so surely his brother would have screamed blue murder how worried he was about him. He always worried too much.

Blood picked up the basket that, from the night before, still rested on the side of the bed. He then, immediately got up, ready to happily return home.

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

 

In those moments, Randolph was returning to Tod's hideout.

Whether he liked it or not, his duty was to report the failed mission. Besides, that way he avoided having to see Blood's expression when leaving and the uncomfortable situation that would derive from it. The best choice was to leave everything as it was. He couldn’t involve Blood in such shady matters. Surely, if Blood discovered what he was doing, he would never see him in the same way. He would probably even be afraid of him. He would also have to take charge of destroying the cave and find another place to stay.

Although Blood was the only person who knew his whereabouts, he had to be very cautious, and more so if the idea was that they could never see each other again. He couldn’t take risks.

While the wolf was distracted in his thoughts, without paying any attention to his surroundings, a vile shadow slid behind his back. When he was right behind him, he put an arm around his shoulders exerting a huge weight on them, thus emphasizing the power he had over "his boys".

“Randolph ~ where is the boy I asked you to bring?” Tod hold him well, preventing any kind of movement. There was a smile on his face that indicated it was better for the blue-haired man to tell him he had the brat hiding somewhere else. What the fox detested most in the world was losing money.

The wolf was surprised by the sudden fright. It was very typical of Tod to appear when one least expected it and he was more than accustomed to having to bear his weight when talking to him.

“I don’t have him.” He replied, trying to keep his composure despite the respect the fox imbued to him. “I was waiting for hours at the right place but nobody showed up there.”

“What?!” The fox released him abruptly, his mouth wide open. It couldn’t be, he had missed his chance. He was really angry. Even so, he shouldn’t lose his composure. “I cannot understand how you could have lost him!” the silver fox began to give "soft" strokes with his finger on Randolph’s chest to make him take the hint. “I gave you very clear indications Randolph.” Despite trying to control his anger, it was evident in the tone of his voice. “They assured me that he would pass by... If they have deceived me..." he began to mumble in a lower tone.

“I can assure you that no one passed by there.” the wolf answered maintaining his cold tone, trying to ignore the angry look of his "boss" and the taps, hoping he would stop at some point. “I waited hours in the same place. I didn’t move from there until nightfall, but nobody showed up.”

“Then, you should have stayed until the next day, fuck!” The fox exploded giving him a little push before finally letting go completely.

Then, the fox put his hand to his face, releasing a huge and exasperated sigh. He was surrounded by incompetents. He would have to explain everything so that there wouldn’t be a single mistake again, or so he hoped. If Randolph came back empty-handed again, he didn’t know what his anger could do. It was already hard enough to control himself at that moment.

"Let's see ... To make things clear..." He raised his head somewhat more calmly, looking at the wolf. “The boy has hair and eyes of a fiery red, a healthy body.... And his name is..." He cleared his throat, showing a sinister smile again. “...Blood ~ so now that you know that, don’t fail me ~ understood?”

Upon hearing that name the blood of the wolf froze completely. He just said Blood? Like... that Blood? Ginger hair? Red eyes? It was impossible for another person to fit into that description and more considering that not so many people lived in Eulana, but... Why? Why did that boy have to go through such misfortunes? He did not deserve it. Randolph had just met him but he had verified and could say without any doubt that the boy was too pure and kind to have to suffer so much, and even more so without having done anything.

"And why are we supposed to be kidnapping that boy?” he dared to ask. At least he needed to know the reasons to understand what was happening.

“Ah?” That question seemed to surprise the fox. More than that, it made him suspect. However, he preferred to pretend that he didn’t care. He didn’t know what the wolf was thinking, but knowing him it surely would not be any good. “How strange that you worry so much about others ~ But I'll tell you, so you can see how kind I am~ His brother owes us a lot of money. So, he has "decided" to sell us his beloved brother in return for forgiveness of the debt.” The fox watched his reactions out of the corner of his eye. The expression Randolph was putting was practically telltale. The wolf horrified at every word that came from his jaws. No doubt, it was too suspicious. So he decided to give the final blow. “I'll sell him to the highest bidder~ That boy is worth gold~ If you had seen him you would know it ~ That angel face dazzles anyone~”

It was at that precise moment when Randolph made a decision. He had to do something. He couldn’t let that boy end up like him, in the depths of despair, devastated, without even a minimal illusion to live ... No, he would not allow it.

He had to do something.

"And what would happen if his brother collected enough money to pay off that debt?”

Tod raised an eyebrow in disbelief. If that interested attitude was already too weird and suspicious in itself, that question made triggered more alerts in the fox. He could not let it go.

“That I would not have to sell him... Maybe, I’m not sure...” Suddenly, he approached the wolf, taking him from the chin with brutality to force him to stare, making his threat clear. “But to make it clear for you, it is impossible to raise that amount of money... There is nothing you can do. NOTHING. Don’t forget your situation, understood? Ran-dolph~”

The wolf was forced to look at his eyes, getting rid of the grip somewhat abruptly at the end.

“I know. You don’t need to remind me always.” he added separating from the fox completely.

He knew more than enough that the debt he owed to the fox was even greater than that of Blood's brother, that surely that heartless fox make him work for him until the day he died. He was more than aware that no matter how hard he tried, he would never regain his freedom. And he hated being reminded of it.

He sighed, dissipating his thoughts and approaching the door. The sooner he left there, the better.

“Well, if there's nothing else you want to tell me, I'm leaving. I have things to do.”

He still had to go back to destroy that cave and find another place to stay. Furthermore...

Now he had something much more important to think about.

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

 

“Brother! I'm back!” Exclaimed the redhead as soon as he passed the threshold of the door.

Surely his older brother would be very worried because he had spent the night outside. That's why he had run to see him so quickly. He even lacked breath and needed to lean on the door handle to regain composure. Once he recovered his breath, he went into the house to look for him, and soon the pots’ sound alerted him that he was in the kitchen.

Seeing him appear in the room, smiling as he always did, Graham was stunned.

“Blood?” What was his brother doing there? Was not that fox supposed to take care of that?

Then the redhead noticed something. That reaction was ... strange? He couldn’t find the exact words to describe it. He only knew that the cold welcome made him sad...

“What happens? Are not you happy to see me again? Where is your welcome hug, brother?” The younger asked in a thin voice.

Maybe his brother would have preferred him to get lost in the woods. That way he wouldn’t have to feed another mouth. And if that were true, then he would want to burst into tears. He truly loved the only brother he had left.

Graham came closer to examine him… and yes, it was indeed him, his beloved little brother. Had the fox changed his mind? What would have happened?

“Blood...” he hugged him tightly, confused, worried and relieved. The truth was that at that moment Graham harbored a chaos of emotions confronting each other. He didn’t took long in noticing the lack of a small detail in the redhead's attire. “But ... Blood, where's your hood? Is something wrong?”

However, that hug felt strange for Blood... He didn’t want to think badly of him, he could not distrust him. Graham was his older brother after all! He went out of his way to take care of him, he could not betray him in any way. Surely he would be imagining things.

He simply shook his head in an attempt to remove those thoughts from his mind.

“It started raining...” He began to tell a little about, avoiding his encounter with the dark-haired boy to not worry him more. “And since I didn’t want it to ruin I took it off ... Then I went into a cave and fell asleep...”

Graham examined him from top to bottom. If he had soaked himself, he was already completely dry, there was no doubt about that. Then he noticed something.

“Blood ... Why are you still carrying the basket? Didn’t you go and give it to Alvin?”

“Uh?” the boy had a hard time reacting. He was still with his mind elsewhere. “The basket! I couldn’t do it brother... The storm caught me halfway..." He looked down a bit, sadly. “I am so sorry.” Then he added one last thing in a regretful tone with his head bowed. “And well ... back home I started to nibble down the road.”

The chestnut sighed at hearing it. On the one hand, he was glad to see him back but... That also meant that if the same thing happened again, that silver fox would go for his head. And that mere thought wasn’t very nice.

“Well, don’t worry. We'll try again tomorrow, when the weather is better.” He gave his little brother a soft smile to reassure him, and maybe to reassure himself in some way, too. “And don’t worry about the basket, I can prepare a new one.”

“Yes!” Blood responded cheerfully, embracing his older brother with all his strength. He felt bad for having doubted him. No doubt he loved him very much, that he would never want to lose sight of him, nor would he do anything to make that happen. “I'm sorry I worried you... Tomorrow I'll take a basket to Alvin again.”

Graham corresponded to the hug and then separated. It would be better to leave the issue aside, at least for the moment. What was done was done.

“But for now let's eat. Surely you'll be hungry after being out all night.”

The boy nodded enthusiastically repeatedly. Then he went to a chair to put the basket in it, pulling out his red hood. And since he wanted to leave it in a safe place for next day, he chose to hang it on the rack of the hall.

Then, he returned to the dining room to begin setting the table with his brother so that they could enjoy a delicious meal.

“You know? I made a friend!” he commented suddenly.

“A friend?” Graham was surprised, smiling at the news. “Is it someone from the town?”

"No..." he began with a cheerful laugh. “...he lives in a forest, in a cave! There is where I stayed! He was very kind!” Blood spoke so fast that he almost seemed hyperactive while saying that. He was very happy, happy to have a friend. He had taken a liking to him in just one night. “His name is Randolph!”

“Randolph? Wow, it's a peculiar name..." said the chestnut thoughtfully. It sounded like he had heard that name somewhere, though he didn’t know where. “And how is that boy living in a cave? Doesn’t he have a home?”

“It seems ... I would like to help him, he was very kind to me! He made sure I didn’t get cold!” The boy almost jumped up as he got up. That was what he wanted, to make him happy. Of course, he also wanted to see his brother and Alvin being happy. However, he had seen him so cold, so lonely, and so sad in the darkness of that cave... He wanted to fill his life with light and warmth! That he would smile again in that beautiful way! And see the stars together again! “Do you think that tomorrow you can prepare something delicious to bring to him too?” He asked looking at his brother pleadingly with his huge eyes as he sat down.

“Sure. But do not go through very dangerous areas, okay?” Graham replied, serving the meal and sitting down to enjoy it.

“Noooo! I will be very careful, I promise!” He said in a tone of obedient child, smiling with joy. All his initial doubts were gone. He even felt stupid for having doubted him that way. “I will not worry you again.”

Graham smiled and finally both began to eat.

 

But what Blood didn’t expect was the surprise that awaited him in that cave, since Randolph would no longer be there for the next day. The wolf had destroyed each and every one of the existing evidence of his presence in that place.

Besides, at those moments Randolph had too many things in his head. Tod had said that it was impossible to pay the debt of Blood's family. He didn’t know how much it was but work after work he had tried to save as much as he could with the sole objective of giving it to Tod some day in order to regain his freedom. However, that boy needed the money much more than him.

It would be easy. He would simply have to manage to leave the money unseen. That way the debt would be paid and Blood would be safe.

He didn’t want to see that boy suffer for anything in the world, even though they would never see each other again.

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

 

The next day, Blood went back to the cave, but what he found was not what he expected at all. That place was totally destroyed, and there was no sign of the wolf anywhere.

“Randolph?” He called his name with the hope that he would appear. He wanted to see him. He really wanted to see him again with all his might. Although more than that he prayed nothing had happened to him. He needed to make sure, so he decided to go deeper into the cave... What if someone had done that? What if he was badly hurt? “Randolph! Where are you?”

However, there was no one there, no known sign that there had ever been one. Only little remains of burned straw remained of what had once been the bed on which the wolf slept every night, the same one in which both had slept the night of the previous day.

The boy lowered his head at seeing that. He couldn’t help but worry, though he couldn’t think of a place to look for him either. What could he do? He walked around the cave again, searching every corner of it. He could not keep his worry from growing. Even so, he wasn’t going to give up. He didn’t want to think about the worst, surely Randolph would be fine. The wolf was someone really amazing, he would not let himself be beaten easily. He looked very strong.

He wanted to keep searching, but at the time he had issues to deal with. He should go see Alvin without fail. He could even take the opportunity to ask him about it. After all, the sorcerer seemed to always know everything, EVERYTHING. Maybe he would know something.

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

 

Meanwhile, in those moments Graham heard someone knock on the door. However, when he went to open it, he didn’t find anyone. The only thing he found in its place was a basket similar to the one Blood carried the previous day.

Confused, he looked to both sides but he found no trace of anyone. Then, although not understanding what was happening, he took the basket with some difficulty since, to his surprise, the truth was that it weighed a lot. Immediately after, he entered the house, leaving it on the table to check its content. There was a small and concise note in it. It just said:

_This will help pay off your debt and help Blood have a better life. Use it well._

 

Graham checked the rest of the content hoping to find some clue as to who sent it. However, the only thing he found were bags, bags of coins. He was stunned, practically petrified to see it. His astonishment stuck out a mile. Where had that amount of money come from? And on whose behalf?

“Well~ Well~”

A funny, singsong voice played behind the chestnut’s back. Graham could barely see the silver fox ears before he fell flat on his face. The fox had just immobilized him in one swift and agile movement.

“I did well in following Randolph~ I was surprised he asked so much for little Blood...” A wicked laugh came from between his lips, showing his fangs. “So this is what you're up to... You must think I'm stupid. Well... Surprise! You're wrong! Nobody cheats the Great Tod~" He was enjoying himself, although in a thousandth of a second his face hardened, showing a serious expression but full of anger. “Tell me ... what do you intend by deceiving me? How has a pathetic and weak human like you got one of my boys to betray me?”

Graham was speechless, easily immobilized in just a couple of moves. The fox was not only skillful and strong, but also incredibly fast. He did not have any of that. He could not even consider himself a rival for Tod.

"I-I just found this money in front of the door..." But his voice stopped at hearing that name. Had he just said Randolph? Like the new friend his little brother had made? Maybe that guy ... was he one of them? “I-It wasn’t my intention to deceive you. I don’t know anyone with that name, r-really.” He said, trembling slightly in part because of the fear that the half fox gave him and partly because he couldn’t control his weak body well. “I beg you. T-take it and let us go. With this money our debt would be paid and you wouldn’t have to see my face again. Isn’t that what you want?” In spite of being completely intimidated by his presence he tried to maintain his composure.

“No? ~ Well, it seems very strange to me... don’t you think? ~” The fox remained on the chestnut. He even seemed to settle, torturing his back a bit more as he adopted a thoughtful gesture. “Yesterday I sent Randolph to kidnap Blood, and not only did he come without fulfilling his mission, but today I find him leaving money to you..." The fox paused for a moment, jumping up, but only to squat in front of him the chestnut and pull of his hair a little, forcing him to raise his face to look at him. “It's really stupid, don’t you think? It's the money he's been saving all his life to regain his freedom..." He released Graham's hair with brutality, even pushing him to fall back to the ground. Immediately afterwards, he got up completely only to take the basket between his claws. “If they return my own money, I don’t gain anything. After all, Randolph got this money from me... So, where's my benefit?”

Graham tried to hold the pain as much as possible, trying to break free of the strong grip of his hair, noticing how the fox pulled it with brutality. Finally, he noticed Tod finally released him, but his words only served to make him jump once and for all. He was pretty fed up with him and his damned attitude.

“H-how? But it's not my fault that he wanted to give it to us!” He raised his voice for the first time, facing the fox. He couldn’t continue to be intimidated by that guy forever. He had to do something. Even if he was weak and his life had no value he wanted to live, he wanted to be useful, especially for his brother. “Don’t you ever get tired of abusing people like this? It is precisely that attitude that causes everyone to hate you.” He gripped his fists in pure anger and frustration, noticing how his blood boiled more and more with each passing second. Don’t you have a heart or what? You are even capable of separating two brothers that the only they have is the one to the other AND EVERYTHING JUST FOR YOUR FUCKING STUPID MONEY!

That reaction surprised the fox, more than that, it left him completely paralyzed. It was the first time someone had dared to face him like that and he didn’t know how to respond. How dare that idiot raise his voice at him? That everyone hated him for that? What nonsense. What could that stupid man know about everything he had to go through...? He said he didn’t have a heart? It had been a long time since he decided to enclose it behind a thick wall... That rotten and detestable world was not good with those with a kind heart, and less having been born in his conditions...

“People hate us for what we are...” For once the tone of the fox didn’t sound with scorn, nor with anger... Simply, with sadness. His face was completely shadowed. He seemed completely sunk inside his memories. However, he soon began to laugh out loud in a sudden way. “You believed it? Good joke right? ~” He spat those words with amusement.

However, that was a lie, just a facade, the mask that the fox liked to wear the most. It had been a long time since he had stopped getting close to people. Due to his origins, he had never been well since the moment everything around him turned to ashes. People had chased him, stoned him… The fox had had to do many things he preferred not to even remember... He had been forced to hide, trembling weakly in a corner like a wounded animal, alone, until one day...

He let out another loud laugh, at that moment the man reminded him of his old self. That young man who, despite being trampled by everything, was determined to face life with determination, not letting himself be defeated, being he who gave the orders so that nobody dared to do anything to him.

“Really I’m starting to have a good impression of you and everything...” he exploded in an ironic laughter again. “Since this money comes from one of my employees... I will accept half of the debt paid. After all, it’s still money came of my pocket~ don’t you think? ~”

But Graham was already angry enough to drop each and every one of the sacks of money.

“Keep everything if you want it so much. But I won’t let you have my brother, never. Do you hear me? N E V E R." He added with more confidence, approaching him.

Suddenly, he heard the fox talking, and shortly after he heard him laugh. His expression changed with that scene. He knew what it was to be rejected, even by his own father. That was just a mask. He recognized it very well, since he had to use one every day. It was difficult, and lonely. However, it was something necessary to survive, no matter how much it hurt.

Graham let out a sigh. He didn’t know if I was being stupid or reckless, but for once he would follow Blood's words. For once he would give that guy a vote of confidence. For once he would dare to forgive him, or at least try to forgive.

“If you did not have that attitude, it would be different, at least for me.” He took a jug of raspberry juice and offered it to the fox. “Although maybe I'm just a fool.” Before continuing, he laughed a little to soften the atmosphere, while a soft smile played on his face as he remembered his brother’s words. “I suppose having a little brother as cute as Blood softens even an old man like me.”

The fox blinked a little, confused. He couldn’t believe what was happening. He had insulted, humiliated, beaten and tortured that man, and now he was saying those kind words with a glass of juice and a smile? Impossible. The world was not so bright, or at least Tod refused to believe it.

"Are you trying to play the -sister of charity- role?" Tod asked in an incredulous tone and then sighed. Thinking it over, if a guy like Randolph had managed to open up to someone, maybe he... No, he could not. Maybe the wolf had a scar on his face, but he had a million that couldn’t be seen. “I don’t need anyone to pity me... I am the Great Tod!” He extended his arms to the sides in a gesture to emphasize his power. He did not need anyone, he could only move forward. “I have a great fortune..." He began to walk around the chestnut, dropping half of the bags. “Sometimes I lost it~ "he said, taking a hand to his chin, trying to show an overactive clueless attitude. “I'm also old, my head sometimes has trouble remembering how much the debt was… "At that time he turned his back and began to walk. “Wait... debt? What debt? I'm definitely starting to be senile... I'm too old already...” perhaps for once ... just once, he could afford to be confident.

Graham didn’t understand anything. What did that mean? Had he suddenly gone mad? Or maybe...

“Are you... pretending the debt never existed?” What had happened to him? Or... maybe... was he trying to be nice?

Graham chuckled. It was ironic, unheard-of. Why the hell wouldn’t have he thought of getting serious long before? Maybe... just maybe... that fox was as lonely and helpless as he was.

“I know we have started on the wrong foot but that can be fixed. After all, the past is just that, past.” He placed himself in front of the fox, preventing him from advancing one more step and held out his hand with a friendly attitude, much to Tod’s surprise. “My name is Graham, and I can assure you that I will not try to stone you, let alone kill you.”

“Are you holding out your hand? To me?” The fox said, forcing himself to brake suddenly when he saw his path blocked. He still couldn’t understand the attitude the chestnut had suddenly taken. Why? He had been the worst with him. That was so crazy Tod couldn’t help but laugh. No doubt that guy was crazy, and he more for accepting it. "I hit you too hard, I think..." he whispered, finally taking his hand in a strong squeeze. At that moment, he looked away with a slight blush. He was not used to so much kindness. It was strange and even embarrassing. “T-Tod...“ He said, noticing how his voice trembled when he spoke.

“Well, Tod.” Graham said, emphasizing his name. “So now you agree to accompany me while what my little brother is out?” he added sitting on one of the chairs and inviting him to do the same. For the moment, he didn’t seem that bad guy. Maybe it was a good idea to let himself be guided by his brother's words." We live here alone so nobody in the village will come to do anything to you, I promise.” Graham's gaze, unlike the burning irises of his brother, was gentle and crystalline as clear water, and at the same time warm as the fire of the hearth. “Well?”

The fox stared at the man for a few seconds. For some strange reason, their two-colored irises could not be separated from the others, feeling, for once in a very long time, a warmth and tranquility typical of the shelter of a home. That fragile and trembling figure shone with his own light, capable of making him feel protected and safe. It sounded really absurd, however, he really wanted to accept the invitation. Of course he couldn’t let that human see him anxious about it. He had a respectable image to protect after all...

“Well... Just because I have nothing better to do. Don’t think you're special, ok?" Tod said with a laugh as he approached to place himself in one of the chairs, although instead of the one the older one had indicated, he took seat as far as he could.

Graham inevitably noticed it seemed that he was deliberately moving away from him and he didn’t know whether it was due to fear or embarrassment.

“Why do you seat so far away?” He asked, looking at the fox from his position.

“Because I want. It doesn’t matter” Replied the fox as he raised his head trying to maintain an indifferent attitude. He refused to admit that those situations made him a little nervous.

“Come on, I do not bite.” The chestnut commented with a soft tone, trying to make the fox see that he was not going to do anything to him. “What really happens to you is that being with people makes you nervous. Am I wrong?”

The fox bounced on his seat, noticing how the chestnut had hit the nail on the head. Then his nerves increased, but he couldn’t let Graham see it, so he got up from the chair and walked over to the one next to the chestnut.

“I-it is not like that...” he said with a thin voice, looking elsewhere trying to hide it while taking a seat next to him. “I don’t really care, the villagers are estrange people...”

A laugh escaped from Graham’s lips.

“You can say that again. Well, at least it seems we agree on something. I was already beginning to think that you only knew how to talk about money.”

“Hey! I know how to talk about more things..." The fox sat on his chair, raising his head with pride. “I can talk about how great I am. The Big Tod is a subject that goes a long way.”

But Graham was watching him intently. He knew no matter how much he wanted to show off, all that ego was false. Anyone who had gone through the same thing would notice, and he had to do it to raise his little brother, so experience in the subject was not lacking.

“You are very lonely, am I wrong?”

“Well... I have Merlin... Bernard... and Randolph...” the fox answered in a somewhat muted tone, frowning as he squeezed his claws with frustration while remembering the harsh reality “...But I believe that none would be with me if it weren’t for the debts that bind them to me...”

The chestnut saw him so helpless that he was even beginning to feel sorry for the fox. If he took a moment to look closely, he could see more than what was visible to the naked eye. Those irises seemed to contain a great suffering. It was as if he had decided to confine within himself all the feelings that in his opinion could make him look ‘weak’. He knew that behavior too much; be strong on the outside when in reality you reveal only a broken existence inside.

 “Why don’t you try to behave with them in another way?” Graham suggested suddenly, shaking his head a little to clear himself of so much thought. “I mean, people are going to treat you according to the way you treat them.” Then he stopped his speech for a moment to sip the juice. “So if what you want is appreciation, you must show them you really are worth as a person. It is difficult, but the reward can be much greater than you think.”

“Reward? Are you talking about money?” The fox joked, although it only took a few seconds to return to the same tone as before, leaning back in the chair while raising his head to look at the ceiling, submerged in his thoughts. There had been a time when everything had been like that, but it had died, and at that moment the fox found it impossible to resuscitate it. “It's very difficult... after all this time... If I show some weakness, they'll throw themselves at my neck... Especially Bernard... that guy loves to tear things apart...”

“Don't be so negative...”

Graham sighed at hearing him. There seemed to be no way to make him see reason. Past wounds were hard to heal. It took time, and even then they never completely disappeared. The only thing that remained was to try to move forward in some way, although many times you just wanted to abandon and let life finish destroying you.

“Although if you don’t want or don’t have enough confidence to try to see what happens... you can come here when you feel like it.” Graham preferred to ignore Randolph's subject, at least for the moment. If his little brother had become friends with one of them, there were only two options available; One was that he wasn’t so bad, the other that he was cheating on him. But Graham preferred to give Randolph a vote of confidence just as he had done with Tod. He had never seen the wolf but if he had the kind look his brother said, he couldn’t be a bad person. “Consider it a kind of thanks for canceling the debt. Besides..." He laughed a little, letting himself fall on the back of the chair. He was exhausted. He worked hard to get everything out. "At least that way I can talk to someone who is not going to judge me or mention my problems.”

 "We all have problems..." the fox exhaled heavily. That was something he knew too well, to his dismay. “That is something that I have seen in my work. But people are so selfish to just look at theirs..." The fox lowered his head to lay his eyes on the chestnut. "So..." A laugh escaped from him, it was best to take that with some humor. That was something he had also learned in his work, and in life in general. If she laughs at you, you also have the right to laugh at her. However, it seemed that at last he was going to be able to rest from everything, even if it was a little. And all thanks to the person at his side. “In exchange for the rest of the debt... you are going to be my psychologist!”

“He... if that's how you want to call it. I would say rather..." Graham looked him straight in the eye, holding out his hand with a friendly expression and look, accompanied by that smile. “…a friend.”

“Friend?” Tod looked down sideways at that hand, raising it again to pose in his smile, thinking about it for a few moments. Graham was like a beacon, in those moments he was lighting up his life to make it a little better. It was embarrassing, but at the same time the fox was internally happy. Finally he let out a small laugh and accepted the hand that the chestnut held out to him, squeezing it with all his strength due to how excited he was inside. “I suppose that word doesn’t sound too bad...” he smiled genuinely happy for once, since he had just made his first friend.

“Ouch ouch...” the chestnut complained about the strong squeeze. “You are strong.” He was shaking his hand once he released it. “Everyone from your species are all that strong? Or is it because I'm already so old that everything hurts?” He laughed trying to relieve the atmosphere, massaging his temples with eyes closed. The truth was that although before his brother he tried to show himself capable to bear everything, he was a shit. Working and taking care of the house and everything in general, ended up being exhausting. “If you excuse me, I think I'm going to rest a little.”

The fox looked at him somewhat worried, unable to avoid feeling guilty about it. After all, he had done nothing but treat him badly, and that had undoubtedly made his already damaged health worse. Maybe he should do something for him just for once... just to thank him for his kindness and thus be able to compensate for that time of extortion and threat...

“You must rest” He got up, ducking in front of the older man, who was still in his chair. Then he held him firmly in his arms, noticing how little the chestnut weighed. “I'll take you to bed...”

Graham immediately blushed when he saw the fox suddenly carrying him.

“H-hey, what are you doing? I'm not so old.” He complained, noticing how his cheeks acquired some color. “I can walk alone. This is not necessary.” He tried to get away uselessly. That situation was shameful.

“Shut your trap, fuck... Just let me help you for once...” the fox protested, growling. He knew very well that it was shameful, Graham didn’t need to resist. It would be better if he stayed still. It was even more embarrassing was for him, although since there was no one else there, he could act with greater freedom despite noticing how he was dying of shame inside. So, having Graham held firmly, he crossed the small living room of the house to the human's room, putting the chestnut carefully on the bed once he was placed next to it.

Graham watched him from his position. That look was not the same he had seen before. He could even see a hint of concern in the fox’s eyes. And his voice... since when had his tone become so kind?

“You are a really peculiar guy, Tod.” He could not help laughing a little. “You can even be cute when you want.”

“C-cute?” The silver fox didn’t know how to respond. Nobody had ever told him anything like that. He was a beast, a horrible and ruthless half-beast, a miserable monster who could only cause chaos and destruction. To receive a compliment like that... It felt good but it was also extremely embarrassing. “D-don’t say nonsense. Someone like me cannot be cute. In any case, I am a handsome male~" he tried to joke, and in that way disguise the nerves and the blush the chestnut just caused in him.

But Graham just laughed again with that comment.

“Both terms are compatible. Also, being human is not as good as it seems.” He said looking at the ceiling thoughtfully. Some even had an erroneous, weak, useless, pathetic, miserable existence... as if they were nothing more than a failure of nature. “We are very weak beings and the world is especially cruel to us. In addition, we are also cruel one with the other.” He laughed ironically. He knew exactly what he was saying. A miscalculation, that was the only thing that had always defined his life. A failure, a misfortune, something that should never have been conceived... “It is a meaningless existence. You only live to fight and suffer... and in the end, if you are lucky, have a fairly dignified death...”

"In that aspect, life doesn’t distinguish between humans and monsters..." the fox said in a thoughtful tone. Nobody got rid of the hard yoke of life. Therefore, at times like these, they should forget all the problems and focus on something else. He saw him so depressed that he somehow felt responsible for having to cheer him up. “But now is not the time to think about such boring things..." He placed his paws on Graham's shoulders for the sole purpose of shaking him delicately. “Just think your live has improve, and a lot. Not everyone is a friend of the Great Tod!~” He said proudly with his head held high, trying to hide that deep down he was still infinitely happy to have managed to make his first friend.

However, the only thing he managed was to make the chestnut laugh again while lying on the bed. That stupid and self-centered comment had managed to cheer him up a bit, or at least make him forget momentarily.

“I don’t understand how I could find you intimidating before. You are pretty adorable.”

For a few seconds Tod was silent, noticing how his cheeks reddened. He had already received many free attacks like that, was the chestnut ever going to stop? He had to do something before losing all his authority, he couldn’t let Graham tease him that way. He wasn’t going to let himself be defeated. He had to prove he could still scare him.

Then, he cleared his throat with force, to shortly after raise the claws on him in a threatening pose.

“I'm very bad~ and sooooo scary” he tried to intimidate the chestnut, talking in a sinister way and even leaning over him.

But it only made Graham laugh again.

“I'm sorry to inform you that you are not.” He added, touching his ears with curiosity. Would that Randolph be the same as him? Could he trust his brother's new friend? The fox looked harmless. In fact, you could tell he was more broken than anything else.

The fox only lowered his hands and rested them on the bed, taking a seat in it. He must recognize that those caresses felt good. He even tilted his head a little towards them. It was pleasant. Still, he couldn’t let Graham laugh like that at him. He had to assert his authority over him.

"It's not funny... Be at least a little scared, dammit..." he protested, puffing his cheeks in an expression of annoyance.

“You look like a pet.” Graham laughed again. “If you have so much need to be listened to, you can keep me company when my brother is not there.” He suggested, fascinated by the reaction of his ears. They were like those of an animal. “Besides..." he said thoughtfully beginning to stop stroking, until finally letting go. “I think he doesn’t need me so much now that he is not a child anymore.” Although he tried to deny it, the reality was that his little brother had grown up. And one day he wouldn’t need him anymore. But it was normal, that's how life was after all.

He let a breath escape from his lips, closing his eyes.

“And any day when I least expect it, he will fly the coop.”

“I'm not a pet!” The fox moved away crossing his arms quite pissed. He had given in his pride. Any half beast would be offended by that kind of comment; everybody always compare them to simple animals. They were people! Or at least that's how they felt. However, seeing his face depressed, all his anger vanished by magic. He didn’t say it badly and to see him this sad... Dammit! At what point had he become so weak? Again he felt the need to comfort him. “Although... I guess I don’t mind keeping you company when I have free time...”

But while they talked, the chestnut began to fall asleep. He was quite relaxed, so that the accumulated fatigue in his body was beginning to take effect.

"At least that way when I'm alone... I'll be able to talk to someone without being judged..." His voice faded little by little, as he fell asleep.

The fox observed how little by little he was falling asleep, and once he fell completely exhausted he crouched until he was a few centimeters from his face, observing him in silence. He could see huge bangs under his eyes. Surely, Graham couldn’t have slept because of what happened with his brother. Despite that, those marks didn’t spoil his delicate face.

At that moment the fox dared to run a hand through those chestnut locks, gently withdrawing them to place a kiss on his forehead. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing or why he was doing it. He just followed his instinct.

“Idiot... A monster like me is incapable of judging anyone...”

 

* * *

 

_Hi~ We are finally back with a new chapter of this story._

_In this chapter is where the original plot of this fanfic begins. We have decided to change a lot of aspects and modify and introduce a lot more. For example, in this text we can see that the apparently scary and evil Tod is just a poor soul who needs affection._

_And he is not the only one. In this story everyone is broken._

_Well, that's everything for today. In the future you will begin to see unexpected surprises, LOTS OF surprises._

_So, see you soon~_

_Bye Nyah~~_


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